Improvement in hemp-brakes



LANrrnn STATES Errea.

J. B. MCOORMIOK AND NV. B. BAKER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

nvlpnovlalvllatn INVHEMP-BRAKES.

' Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 3 E ,ESL dated January2 186i.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that we, J. B. MoGoRMroK and W. R. BAKER, of St. Louis, inthe county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented a new andImproved Machine for vHackling and Scutching Hemp; and we do herebydeclare that theV following is a full, clear, and exa-ct description 'ofthe same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a partwill proceed to describe it.

A represents a framing, which may be constructed in any proper manner tosupport the working parts'of the machine. B isa drum, the shaft a ofwhich is fitted in suitable bearings on the framing. The drum B isformed ol" two heads, b b, keyed on the shaft a, one near each end, saidheads being provided with radial slots o, between which longitudinalbars d are secured, the bars d being parallel with the shaft a. rlheslots c and bars cl'do not project out as far as the peripheries of'thev heads b b, sufficient space being allowed for semicircularrecesses e to be made in the inner sides of the heads at theirperipheries.

Between the barsv d of the drum there are` placed bars j', the latterbeing fitted loosely between the former, and having their ends passingthrough the radial slots c of the heads I) b. The ends of the bars f areallowed to work loosely in the slots c-that is to say, in a directiontoward and from vthe centers of the heads-the slots c being considerablylonger than the depth of the bars f, to admit of a eertain degree ofplay or movement of the latter. (See Fig. l.)

To the framing A and at each end of the drum B there are attached twostationary cams,

in Fig. l. The bars f are armed at their outer surfaces with spikes orteeth j, as shown in both figures,

In the framing A and at points below the drum B there are placed tworollers, (l C. These rollers are parallel with the shaft a, and aroundthem endless belts la 7c pass, to which slats Zare attach ed at asuitable distance apart. rlhe ends of the slats Z gear into the recessesc in the peripheries of the heads b b, as shown in Fig. 1.

The operation isl as follows: The drum B is rotated by any convenientpower in the direction indicated by arrow l, and the hemp is fed to themachine by hand, the hemp passing between the drum B and the endlessbelt of slats, the latterbeing moved i`n the direction indicated byarrow 2 in consequence of the heads b b of the drum engaging with theends of the slats. The upper part ofthe end less beltA of slats formswhat may be termed a concave, 7 and the hemp is drawn in between it andthe drum, and as the bars f of the drum approach the slats Z the cams gforce outward the bars f, the ends ofthe latter passing over theouteredges of said cams. By this arrange` ment the teeth j of the bars f aremade to act upon the hemp, the teeth and bars being after such actiondrawn inward toward the center of the drum by the cams 7th. The zigzagcams 't' c' give a lateral or longitudinalmovement to the bars f, theprominences a of one cam being placed opposite the depressions b of theother.. (See Fig. 2.) This longitudinal or 'lateral vibrating movementof the bars f enables the teeth j to scutch the hemp and cleanse itthoroughly from all boon or woody matter, while they at the same timehaekle the hemp perfectly and without producing an undue quantity oftow, the latter being discharged off the endless belt'of slats or takentherefrom by any proper stripper. The with drawing of the teeth' jwithin the drum prevents them carrying any tow or particles of hemparound with the drum. The hemp,\vhile being acted upon,.is held at theends by the hands of the attendants or operators, and is withdrawn orallowed to pass through when fully acted upon and a fresh supply fed tothe machine.

We do not claim, broadly, the invention of lspiked arms that move in andout of the eylinder, as they are shown in Gledhills English. patent of1855; but,

2 l 31mm Having thus described our invention, what and for the `purposesherein shown andA de- We claim as new, and desire t0 secure byLetscribed.

ters Patent, is 1 l. The combination 0f the endless belt 7c ICICQICK'with the radially-sliding armed bars f, as and n for the purpose hel-einshown and described. Vitnesses:

2. Giving a lateral movement to the said CHARLES C. LACY,

radially-sliding armed bars f, in the manner J OIIN SHANDY.

